Fresh Peaches and Cream Prosecco Cake

What is better than a fresh juicy peach? A fresh juicy peach soaked in sugar and Prosecco and then layered between a delicate Prosecco soaked sponge cake. This is the perfect cake to bring to your next BBQ, it’s light and fresh and has all of the flavor of summer.

The recipe is originally from Better Homes, and Gardens and can be found right here . I followed the recipe as written making only two minor substitutions. Instead of vanilla extract I used vanilla paste simply because I love the flecks of vanilla throughout the whipped cream. If you don’t have vanilla paste on hand, extract is perfectly fine. Also, I substituted the sour cream called for in the whipped cream topping for vanilla yogurt. I don’t like the strong tang of sour cream, vanilla yogurt is a much more subtle flavor and it worked out beautifully in the final product. This is a fairly delicate cake so to ensure that it doesn’t fall apart as you remove it from the pan, I recommend coating your pans with cooking spray then lining the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Also, take care when assembling the cake, once the layers have been soaked in Prosecco they will be fragile.

This was an absolutely delicious cake with a very pronounced Prosecco flavor. The whipped cream and cake structure held up beautifully during transport and even the following day. This recipe is definitely a keeper, enjoy!

Ingredients

For the cake

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup Prosecco or sparkling rose

For the filling

4 medium ripe peaches, pitted and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup Prosecco

2 tbs granulated sugar

For the topping

3 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla paste

Instructions

For the cake – Allow the eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or place in warm water for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grease three 8.5″ round baking pans.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs on high for 5 minutes or until thickened and light. Beat on medium an additional 5 minutes while gradually adding sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. (Batter will be light and fluffy) Beat in flour mixture on medium low until just combined.

In a small saucepan heat the milk and butter until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Add to the batter, beating until combined. Add in almond extract and mix until combined. The batter should be smooth and shiny. Divide the batter equally among the prepared pans.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from the pans and cool completely on wire racks set over a shallow pan or tray. Once cooled, poke the cakes all over. Slowly pour the Prosecco over the cakes, about 1/3 cup per cake. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and chill 2 to 24 hours.

For the fresh peach filling – In a large bowl combine peaches, Prosecco, and sugar, stir well. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the peaches into a coarse mixture. Set aside.

For the whipped cream – In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the heavy cream, vanilla yogurt, sugar, and vanilla paste on medium until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

To assemble – Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half the fresh peach filling. Top with second cake layer and spread with remaining peach filling. Top with third cake layer and spread the top and sides with whipped cream. To garnish, top with a sliced peach fanned out in a circle pattern. Store the finished cake in the fridge.